Villain Simulator, Ch 278
[The people of the Seven Nations were no strangers to the figure standing before them—it was none other than the Tian Kui, the leader of Liyue's Qixing.]
[Over the years, as Liyue's international influence grew, your presence naturally became more frequent across various regions. Praise and criticism alike followed wherever you went, never in short supply.]
[Those who admired you saw you as an unparalleled military commander, a leader with both political and strategic brilliance, the greatest Qixing in Liyue's history—the true successor of the Geo Archon. Yet those who despised you called you a usurper, a deceitful schemer, a ruthless pragmatist who placed personal gain above all else.]
[But you never cared for such things. History is written by the victors. And if this plan succeeded, you would go down in Teyvat's history as the greatest ruler to ever exist.]
[Using Fontaine's advanced imaging technology, your massive projection loomed over the Jade Chamber, visible to nearly all the citizens across the Seven Nations.]
[And there, before the entire world, you declared:
"The ley lines reveal the will of heaven; the Six Nations unite under Liyue; the world shall share one ruler; the Tian Kui shall illuminate the Seven Nations."]
[You revealed to the people of Teyvat the long-buried truth of the ancient kingdom that was destroyed five hundred years ago—Khaenri'ah. You told them that above Celestia, an existence beyond the Seven Archons reigned, suppressing the world's progress. Any nation could meet the same fate as Khaenri'ah. And the only way forward was for the Seven Nations to unite, forging a superpower capable of standing against the Heavenly Principles.]
[Your declaration was not mere empty words. Over the years, you had dispatched agents and Fatui operatives across the Seven Nations, secretly spreading knowledge about Khaenri'ah's downfall. Many underground organizations had already begun investigating its history and the truth behind the Abyss Order.]
[These were the seeds you had sown across the land. And now, the time had come for the harvest.]
[No force could resist the tides of change. The unification of the Seven Nations was no longer a mere possibility—it was an inevitability.]
[At last, the Seven Nations stood as one. With Liyue at its core, the other six became member states under a new name: the Seven Sacred Federation. The title "Seven Sacred" honored the seven elements, not the Seven Archons. Like Liyue, this new federation was governed by humanity, not by gods.]
[And you, the Tian Kui, had become the undisputed ruler of all Teyvat. At this moment, both in power and influence, you had reached an unprecedented peak. (Talent "Rise to the Top" activated.)]
To be fair, Rise to the Top wasn't exactly a top-tier talent. Among the five grades—white, green, blue, purple, and gold—it sat somewhere in the middle.
The reason was simple. Talent rankings were based on both their potential and their practicality.
Some talents weren't the strongest in effect, but because they were easy to trigger, they received high rankings.
Meanwhile, a talent like Rise to the Top was tied to one's status and authority. In the early stages, it was practically useless, and if one never rose to a high enough position, it would remain ineffective.
The odds of someone like Lucas—who had clawed his way up from a lowly prisoner to the supreme ruler of the Seven Nations—fully maximizing this talent were unimaginably low.
[Age 50:
With the unified strength of the Seven Nations, the Seven Sacred Federation developed rapidly. Technology, military, economy, art, law—every aspect of civilization had reached unprecedented heights.]
[And you had fulfilled the promise Ningguang once made—turning the Jade Chamber into a structure that could truly oversee all Seven Nations.]
[But just as you had predicted, Celestia would never tolerate an existence that transcended its control. A nation of such immense power, free from divine rule, was an affront that the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles could not ignore.]
[As with Khaenri'ah and Sal Vindagnir before, the heavens cast down their judgment. From above, a Skyfrost Nail descended once more—an instrument of destruction capable of annihilating an entire nation.]
[This was Celestia's declaration of war against the Seven Sacred Federation.]
[Of course, to call it a "declaration of war" would be generous. War was something waged between equals. To the Heavenly Principles, humanity had yet to earn the right to be called a "threat." This was not a declaration of war—this was merely an indifferent footstep crushing an ant colony beneath it.]
[And yet, to Celestia's surprise—]
[The ants… held their ground.]
[The moment the Skyfrost Nail fell, across all Seven Nations, a massive network of Guizhong Ballista sprang to life. These machines had been modified from ancient Liyue's blueprints, redesigned to store and unleash immense elemental power.]
[Hundreds of Guizhong Ballista activated in unison.]
[In that instant, seven elemental beams intertwined, forming a radiant rainbow of energy, converging into a single point—]
[And in a dazzling explosion of light, the Skyfrost Nail, the very instrument of annihilation, was obliterated before it could reach the land below.]
[As its fragments scattered like fireworks in the sky, the citizens of the Seven Sacred Federation erupted in joy.]
[This was not just their victory.]
[This was humanity's victory.]
[But Celestia would not be deterred so easily.]
[If the Skyfrost Nail could not destroy the Federation, then the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles would personally descend—eradicating this burgeoning threat before it could spread any further.]
[And waiting to face this divine enforcer…]
[Was not a second wave of cannon fire.]
[It was a single human being.]
[Entering Immersive Mode…]
[Mission Objective: Protect the Seven Sacred Federation from annihilation.]
This time, when Lucas appeared, his surroundings were unlike anything before.
He was floating.
In the sky.
At first, he wavered, struggling to balance. But soon enough, he adjusted—he had already begun to grasp the power he now possessed.
He had to admit… even compared to Decarabian, the fully awakened God of Storms, he was by no means at a disadvantage.
But Decarabian had been born a god.
Tian Kui… was just a man.
To reach such heights as a mere human—it was nothing short of a miracle.
And before him, hovering in midair, was an all-too-familiar figure—
An old friend from the simulator.
The Sustainer of Heavenly Principles.
She was the same as ever—cold, peerless, radiating an overwhelming presence. Her silver hair rippled like waves in the sky, and her golden eyes shone without a hint of emotion.
Yet, the moment her gaze fell upon Lucas—
She frowned.
And murmured:
"Transgressor… Have I seen you somewhere before?"
At those words, a chill ran down Lucas' spine.
After all, he knew—
The simulated world… was capable of preserving memories.
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